More Than You Know
by PrincipalCellist
Summary: /What's the worst that could happen? Well, I could fall in love with him...or he could realize that he'll never feel the same way and break things off. Then I'll not only be single, but heartbroken as well./ Puzzleshipping. One shot.


I had a hard time picking the genre for this story. I wanted to put is as humor, but I wasn't sure because, while it is funny, humor isn't a main point...I think. Whatever! You decide. Oh, _JUST SO YOU KNOW_! Each page break is when the POV switches! It starts with Yami - then PAGE BREAK - Yugi - PAGE BREAK - Yami - PAGE BREAK - Yugi...Get it? Got it? Good.

* * *

><p>"Why did you turn down Yugi when he asked you out?" Was the first thing Anzu demanded after I let her in my home. She stormed off into the dining room in an all caps rage and sat at the table. I had no choice but to follow. "Would you like to tell me why you <em>kissed<em> him and then _rejected_ him?" She continued. "Can you possibly explain to me why there was a guy on my porch waking me up at _two in the morning_ with shiny, wet eyes, telling me how he had been rejected before, but it was never _'like this'_?" She pretty much slammed her latté cup on the table before folding her arms. "The way I see it, you have _a lot_ of explaining to do to one very angry woman."

I cringed and looked into the intense azure eyes that stared at me from across the table. They were almost emitting fire, she was so angry. They were eyes any model would give anything to have, but they weren't what I was thinking about—my mind was caught on Yugi. I had turned down what was probably one of the most sought-after single men around. He had been so interested in me, too. Wet eyes…for god's sake! I wasn't mean or anything, but it seemed I had a knack for being too blunt.

"Anzu, I just…I'm sorry."

"I said explain, not offer a half-assed apology," she fired back. "I'm not the one you should apologize to, anyway!" Boy, she was like a mother hen: when she was mad, she was _mad_. Her eyes kept blazing as she calmly took a sip of her latté. But I could tell she was still very irritated, and was still clearly waiting for an answer. I gave her the succinct response that had come to me every time I had asked myself why I had turned Yugi down.

"I just don't deserve him."

She just stared at me. The fire in her eyes died to a kind of puzzlement, flickered to amusement, then returned to their intensity.  
>"Oh, my god. You're serious." She rolled her eyes and placed her cup on the table. "Yami, that is such a load of crap."<p>

"It seems like it at first, doesn't it?" I countered. "Think about it, though. He can do better. He can get a guy who's nicer, more patient. Someone who—"

"Yami—"

"—could give him what he wants, whenever he wanted it. He could find someone who would make him deliriously happy. He could find someone who doesn't worry as much as me, get jealous like me. Someone who isn't so damn type A. He could—"

"Oh, jeez. Shut up." She interrupted, rubbing her temples and eyeing me. "Do you even _hear_ yourself? Honestly! I can spout bullshit as much as the next person can, but this is just ridiculous. Cut yourself a break." She started counting on her fingers. "You're funny. You're intelligent. You're hot. You're kind when you want to be – which is a lot more than in the past. You are _you_, Yami. Everyone has baggage and that's what makes us…well, us! Yugi obviously doesn't care. He's not stupid. He's interested in _you_. The way you are now was enough for him, so why isn't it enough for you?" She pointed her finger at me, pursing her lips. "He is aware that you have your problems just like he has his. Dating someone and having a relationship is about helping each other with the insecurities, not reinforcing them. It was just a date, Yami! He wasn't asking you to _marry _him!"

I didn't have anything to say to that. For once, my quick wit couldn't think of one damn sarcastic comment to say. She was right. That was all. I sighed and set my forehead on the table, thanking whatever higher power there was that I had such a good friend who knew how to use logic in my time of need.

"Oh, my god…" She said, sounding smug. "Strike the bells and ring up the chorus! Yami Atemu is speechless for the first time in his life!" Then, in a softer voice, "It was just a date."

"You're right," I responded, the table muffling my voice.

"I'm sorry, what?" She asked. I lifted my head and stared at her seriously.

"You're right. It was just a date. I completely overanalyzed things and made a huge deal out of something that really shouldn't be so monumental. I'll admit it…I'm not really all that bad. But I still think he could do better."

She stared at me, surprised, before smiling. "Silenced and then apologetic…all in the same day. _Wow_. Good deal." She took a sip of her latté. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it? So, now you can go down to the game shop and ask him out."

"Now wait just a minute, Anzu. I said I made a big deal about something that shouldn't be. You have to remember that this still remains huge for me." I waved my arms in exasperation. "I can't just go to him and ask him out after I turned him down! He's probably still upset or something! He'd just give me the cold shoulder and reject me!"

Anzu took in a deep, deep breath, held it, then let it out slowly; obviously trying to keep herself calm. When she spoke, it was as if I was a toddler. She drew each syllable out carefully and slowly. "You are interested in him. He is interested in you. When two people who are interested in each other go somewhere alone, it is called a date. Find him and ask him to go on one." She shook her head slightly. "And if you two don't like it, you guys don't have to go on another. What's the worst that could happen?"

For once, I actually had an answer to that question. "I could fall in love with him." I admitted in a quiet voice, looking down to my hands. "Or he could realize that he'll never feel the same way and break things off. Then I'll not only be single, but heartbroken as well."

"You," she declared bluntly, "are a stubborn ass." I could tell she was irritated when she started using curse words. "Well, this is what I'll tell you before I leave, because I'm done beating around the bush. You need to decide what's more important to you: staying safe by being unhappy and lonely, or taking a risk and being happy. It's totally up to you." She grabbed her cup and stepped out of the room, leaving me with my thoughts.

Well, shit. Anzu had a gift for putting things into simple words that cut to the quick, didn't she?

* * *

><p>"Yugi, you have got to stop acting like a little 14-year-old girl," I said to myself as I placed a stack of games on the highest shelf I could reach in the back storage room. "It's been almost a week now. He said no. Let go of that dream." Even though I had said something like this to myself many times a day for the past five days, it still didn't help. What was it about Yami Atemu that had me so hooked?<p>

I know what you're probably thinking, and yes, one thing that had me attracted was that he was good looking. Really good looking. Of course there were other guys who were hot and what-not, but I wasn't so shallow to let that be the only thing that attracted me. Personality counted for a lot, too. But my question was this: Why was Yami more attractive and enticing to me than anyone else was?

"Because he's real," I said to myself quietly, straightening another stack of games. I had always liked guy who kept things simple and fun and didn't restrict themselves to many rules. With a sigh, I flicked the switch down on the inside wall of the room and left. I made my way from the storage room to the counter at the front of the store, running my hand through my hair haphazardly. One good thing about having hair like mine was that you didn't have to worry about it being messed up, because it was already crazy.

"Jou, make sure you call Mrs. Peters and tell her that her order came in." I said to my best friend as he walked by me.

"Got it," he replied, cracking his gum loudly.

"Must you do that?" I said, a bit irritated.

"It's the first time I've done it all day!" He argued, but he was grinning.

"Yeah, yeah…" I said, waving a limp hand. He walked to the back of the store. I leaned on the counter and glanced sideways out the window, watching people walking outside. My heart dropped into my stomach when I saw Yami, dressed in a black shirt and dark jeans, step away from the crowd and enter the store. I jerked upright so I was at my full (rather unimpressive) height. What was he doing here?

"Um, hi," he said, his ruby eyes catching on my face.

"Hey, Yami…" I returned. In all honesty, I sounded a bit colder than I had originally intended. "Uh, what can I do for you?"

"Listen, Yugi, I'm sorry. I didn't really know what—"

"Yami," I interrupted, holding up my hand, "if you came over here to give me an apology or some sort of explanation as to why you turned me down, I'm not staying here to listen. It was almost a week ago. I'm fine. Completely over it." I slightly winced at the lie, and I shoved my golden bangs out of my face. "Besides, I'm at work and I got things that grandpa told me to do." I hesitated. "And to be honest, I'm not even sure why you're here now, of all times, to explain yourself." Wow, I sounded pretty frigid, which was an amazing feat since my insides were melting in on themselves.

"It took me this long to get up the courage to put myself out here like this, so you're going to stand here and listen to me," he said a bit sharply. _Phwoar_. There was that attitude I was so attracted to again. I gripped my fists and simply watched him. Oh, god. My stomach was about to fall into my gut. I could feel it. Would he always have this effect on me? "I was, as usual, overanalyzing things so much it got ridiculous. I mean, I don't know why I do this to myself, but…I'm rambling." He paused and rubbed his arm, like it calmed him. "I didn't come here to explain myself, either. I actually…I came here to ask you to dinner."

My breath swept up in my lungs and stopped there. Well, that wasn't quite what I'd expected…actually, that was not what I'd expected at all. I watched as he kept going, my gaze seeming to make him uncomfortable.

"I know that you're probably upset with me for declining your offer in the first place, and so bluntly as well, although I have to say that I'm probably flattering myself thinking that you'd still be thinking about it after five days—"

"Yami."

"—That's right. You've probably already moved on and everything. Um, It took me some time, though, to work things out and figure out what I'd say to you—"

"Yami."

"— and Anzu had reamed me a new one. Kicked my ass with words, is more like it. I really pissed her off, to be quite honest."

"Oi, Yami." I finally snapped.

"I'm sorry." He muttered before clamping his mouth shut.

"It's fine," I couldn't help but grin. I was both surprised and amused by the whole situation right now. We stood there in silence, waiting. I was waiting for him to ask me out, like he had planned. I really wanted to hear the words come from him. I stared back into his eyes and eventually he looked away, the silence putting him on edge. After a minute, his eyes met mine again, and I realized something. By me not saying anything, he thinks I'm rejecting him. I had to quickly say something. "Well?" I said, still grinning. "Are you going to ask?"

He blinked. "Ask what?"

"Me to dinner."

"I already did," he said, looking confused.

"No, you didn't. You said you came to ask me to dinner." I placed an elbow on the counter and set my head in my hand, watching him. "I'm still waiting."

He looked at me, the unease in his eyes disappearing with a burst of amusement that replaced it. "No. You know what? I think I've changed my mind," he smirked. Oh, man. That smirk. It was one of those smirks that called to me like, _"Hey. I'm hot. I know it, you know it. You want me. Now come get me."_ (Though that was probably just the way my brain was interpreting it.)

"Have you, now?" I smiled broadly, enjoying myself immensely.

Yami got serious. "Yugi, would you like to have dinner with me?"

"I would love to. How's tomorrow evening?"

"I can't. Wednesday?"

"I have to work late."

"Okay," He said, thinking. "What about Thursday evening?"

"Thursday sounds fantastic." I said, lifting my chin. He grinned, and I responded with my own. Jeez, stop swooning, Yugi. You're not in high school anymore. I blinked and glanced away, feeling that familiar heat near my ears. "How does Olive Garden sound to you?"

"I'll meet you there. Is six good?"

"That works for me," I answered, I grabbed a pen and wrote my number down for him, and he gave me his. We stood there awkwardly for a couple of seconds before Yami stepped back.

"Okay. I'll see you then." He turned to walk away.

"Hey, Yami."

"Yeah?" He replied, stopping to face me.

"Thank you." I smiled again. I just couldn't help it. But the best part was when he smiled back.

"Thank _you_, Yugi."

I watched him exit the store, and I felt like doing a small victory dance. Oh, god. Thursday wouldn't get here fast enough.

* * *

><p>To say that I was nervous for my date would be the understatement of the century. The only numbers I seemed to be able to pay attention to during work were the ones on the clock. I finished up just a couple of minutes before six, and I used the restroom to check myself in the mirror. I looked as I always did. I fixed my shirt and tried to do the same with my hair.<p>

I walked the two blocks to the restaurant from work, deciding I could pick my car up after dinner. At Olive Garden, I checked inside with the hostess and found that Yugi hadn't arrived yet. So I went back outside and sat on the bench, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath, calming my nerves and enjoying the nice weather. Not two minutes had passed before I heard the soft voice that had started to grace my dreams at night.

"Hey."

I opened my eyes and my breath caught. Gone were the jeans, dark top, converse, and apron he was wearing at work last time I saw him. In their place was a nice, white, button-up shirt, dark jeans that were both casual and dressy (I didn't know that combination was possible), and a pair of black shoes. He must've taken a shower before he left, because his hair was still looked a bit damp. Overall, though, he looked better than a million dollars.

"Hey," I said back as I stood up. "You really look amazing."

"Thank you," he said, giving me a small salute and smiling. Oh, god. That smile. That smiled seemed to say,_ "Hey. I'm cute. Don't you want to take me home with you?"_ (Though it might just be me who thinks that.) "You look very handsome yourself, Yami."

"Did you fall into a puddle?" I teased, reaching up to touch his wet hair. It was really soft.

"Hardy, har, har." He rolled his eyes. I realized I was still touching his hair and I pulled my hand away. "What? Does it look back?"

"No, not at all. I like it." Oh, man. I better stop before I start rambling again. Yugi's smile was really making my brain fizz out. "Let's go inside."

He smiled at me warmly and gestured forward. "After you."

Inside, the hostess recognized me from my entrance a few minutes before, and led us to our table. We sat, and I looked at Yugi. I got to admit, he was the manifestation of my definition of the word 'attractive'. The mellow lighting in the restaurant made what water was left in his tri-colored hair glint in some spots, highlight the angles of his round face, and accentuated the depth of his amazingly amethyst colored eyes. He shifted in his chair, feeling my stare, and looked up.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" he asked, turning pink.

"What?" I blinked. "Oh! Um, no. Sorry." I felt embarrassed, which didn't happen to me a lot. It seemed to only happen around him, actually. I looked down at my menu, my appetite mysteriously gone. I was at a loss of what to say. I glanced up again, only to find his eyes still on me, shining with slight amusement.

"Yami?" He tilted his head just so. I covered my mouth with one hand and looked away. "Hey, relax. It's not against the law to look at me. I mean, yeah, I don't like being stared at all the time but…it's okay. Because it's you." He trailed off and the pink hue turned darker. I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"I'm sorry, I'm not doing very good with this, am I?"

"With what? Talking? It seems to me that you do plenty of that, so I don't think you have anything to worry about." He chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah," I rolled my eyes. "You know what I mean."

It was like something snapped into place after that exchange. Dinner passed by easily, and I was able to relax with every word that came out of his mouth and every joke we shared. The conversation was really good, the back-and-forth was natural; nothing was forced. It flowed as easily as water. We had more in common than I thought.

And at the end, neither of us even tried to kiss the other. I kind of wished that we hadn't kissed before that one day. It had been so sudden. I still didn't know how we ended up like that. One minute we were talking, then he was so close, and I just leaned over and set my lips on his. It was a spur-of-the-moment-make-out kind of kiss. But unlike that night, we both seemed at ease now. It just felt so right. So…natural.

And that scared the shit out of me.

* * *

><p>"Hey, sexy," Anzu greeted with a laugh as she let me in through the front door of her house. We walked to the kitchen and she grabbed a mug from her cupboard, poured some coffee into it, and handed it to me. "So how are you doing?"<p>

"I can't complain. Things at the game shop are running very smoothly, unless you add Jou into that mix. He knocked down a display yesterday. But anyway, how are you?"

"I'm fine. Nothing really to report beside that some of the girls in my dance class think they're all hot messes." She giggled. "Well, they are messes for sure. I just wish they'd take dancing more seriously, but it seems like all they want to do is talk on their phone and skip class. I wish they weren't like that…" She sighed.

"You take it pretty seriously," I commented. Anzu has always loved dancing.

"Of course!" She sat in a barstool at her counter and smiled slyly. "But enough about me. You and Yami. How are things going between you two?" She waggled her eyebrows. "Anything you should report to me…?"

"Oh, come on, Anzu! We're taking it slow." I looked away from her. "We haven't even kissed yet. Well, I mean, besides that time where we just grabbed each other and made out before I asked him out and got rejected."

I could practically hear her jaw hitting the counter.  
>"What? Really? Are we talking about the same Yami here?"<p>

"Yup." I looked back to her. "It's not like I don't want to. I just…I get the feeling that he's trying his best not to fuck this up, and I don't want to rush him."

"Wow. Yami Atemu taking it slow…who would've thought?" She smiled a little and ran her finger around the rim of her coffee mug. "How many dates have you been on?"

"Like I'm actually counting." I thought for a minute. "I guess it's been…Eleven?"

"Impressive," She said. "For Yami, I mean. Seems just yesterday I was telling him to stop being an idiot and ask you out."

"Thank you for that, by the way."

"You're welcome. What are your next plans together?"

"What is this, Twenty Questions?" I asked with a grin. She just watched me expectantly. "Well, I'm going over to his place tonight."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm making him dinner."

"And?"

"_And _I don't know. I just want him to eat and relax after work instead of him having to cook. His job's been making him work long hours lately, and he seems tired."

She was silent after this, and seemed to be mulling over the details. "Well, I'm happy for you, Yugi. Really. I'm glad you found each other." She said. We both took a sip of our coffee. "Hey, you really like him, don't you?" I took another sip of coffee and pretended to think about it, but the answer was crystal-clear in my mind from the moment the question came out of her mouth. She wasn't fooled by my mock pensiveness, either.

Finally I looked at the ceiling and let out a breath.  
>"Yeah, Anzu. I really do."<p>

* * *

><p>Yugi's back was turned to me; he was washing the last of the pans. I liked that he did that. The way he took it on himself to do something with out being asked or expected to. Like tonight, how he'd just came over and cooked me dinner, which was really nice. I walked over quietly as he finished rinsing the last pan and placed it on the drying rack. He grabbed the dishtowel and dried his hands. I stepped up right behind him and wrapped my arms around his torso, resting my chin on his shoulder. When I inhaled, his scent, mixed with the smell of dish soap and the spices he had used to cook dinner, filled my senses. He placed the towel on the counter and his hands came up to grab my arms.<p>

"Hello there," he said, looking over at me.

"Do you have to leave soon?" I asked. "I was going to watch a movie tonight that I got in the mail the other day. If you would like to stay, you're more than welcome." He pulled my arms from around him and turned around, smiling. God, would he always make my heart stutter?

"I'd really like that." For some reason, we just kept looking at each other. But it wasn't weird. The smile slowly faded from his lips, and he turned pink. "Hey, Yami. Is it okay if I kiss you now?" He mumbled.

I blinked and then chuckled before leaning down so we were eye level.  
>"Hm…I'd be really disappointed if you didn't."<p>

He bit his lip carefully before his eyes flickered back to mine. He reached up with one hand, sliding it up against the back of my neck. His fingers threaded his fingers in my hair. His other hand was gripped around my upper arm, and he pulled me forward, lifting his head to meet me. When his lips touched mine, my stomach churned in that indescribable feeling that everyone who's ever been kissed by someone they care about knows very well. Our breath mingled, and I could feel my brain stopping. He tasted like a mix of the sweet tea he'd been drinking earlier and himself. He was a taste I couldn't place. But it was as intoxicating and his scent. It left me breathless, and when he pulled away, I wanted more.

He released me and took a small step back, blushing. Thinking that now wasn't the right time to tease him, I padded over to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of soda, then I took his hand and led Yugi into the living room. He took my soda from me with a grin and drank some of it before setting it on the table. He sat on the sofa as I grabbed the movie. I felt his eyes watch every move I made, and after I had finally put the disc into the player, I turned to him.

"Are you enjoying the view?"

"More than you know," he replied, a mischievous gleam on his face.

"I'm glad I can be of amusement," I smiled, sitting down next to him. I pushed the 'play' button on the remote and took a swig of my soda. As soon as I had set the bottle on the table and sat back, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and Yugi placed his head against my arm. I felt my stomach twist as he snuggled next to me, already absorbed in the movie. He was a few inches shorter than me, and built in a thinner way than me. His body felt warm and firm against mine. By its own, my hand settled on top of his lightly, my fingers brushing against his knuckles.

Somewhere after the first hour of the movie, I noticed that his breathing had deepened somewhere along the line, and it felt as though all of his weight was against me now. Sure enough, when I looked over at him, he was asleep. I smiled. He looked really cute and peaceful when he was asleep.

I returned to watching the movie, but before long, I felt a little drowsy, too. I leaned my head over on top of his and continued watching. The last thing I remember is thinking how perfectly Yugi and I fit together as I threaded my fingers between his.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

I woke up to the feeling of fingers lightly touching my arm and a warm body near mine. As I opened my eyes, the sunlight filtering through the windows made me squint, and I carefully raised my head, wincing as my neck muscles protested. I could tell I was probably going to soon regret the position I fell asleep in last night. I yawned and blinked, my eyes becoming accustomed to the light. I turned my head and glanced to my right, and Yugi's eyes were looking back at me, shining with the morning light, a hint of a smile on his lips. His fingers still danced on my arm, and it felt good.

"Good morning," he said. I melted inside. "Since your awake, can you get off my arm? I can't feel it anymore." I noticed that his arm was caught behind me, and I leaned forward slowly, and he pulled his arm away. With another yawn, I suddenly flopped over. I landed against Yugi and he was sent backward so he was now lying down on his back. I wrapped my arms around him and snuggled into his chest, giving an appropriate "mumph" in response to his greeting.

"_Someone's_ a morning person," he said sarcastically. I smiled a bit and I felt one of his hands come up and play with my hair.

"Shut up." I muttered. "I'm off today. I get to sleep in."

"Not if I don't let you." He threatened. I shifted so my chin was resting on his chest and I glared up at him. He only smiled back at me, twining a strand of my golden bangs around his finger. I brought my hands up and put them underneath my chin.

"So, why aren't _you_ worried about getting to work?" I asked.

"Because I took a day off today."

"A day off? Who gets those?" I joked.

"Me." He took my face in his hands and kissed my forehead. "Especially when I'm enjoying a morning with my boyfriend."

The word made my heart thud. I mean, yeah, I knew that's what we were, but hearing him say it sent a thrill through me. "Yeah, okay." I said, trying not to smile and lead on that he was able to touch me at the very core with the things he said. He pouted.

"I was being serious." He said, pushing me away so I was lying next to him instead of on top. He went to sit up, and I wrapped my arms around him in an iron grip.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I'm getting up," he said simply, giving me a look that said _'duh'_ loud an clear.

"Not so fast," I said, pulling him closer and planting my lips against his. He pulled away gently.

"Oh, no," he managed, shaking his head. "No way. I have morning breath."

"I don't care." I shrugged.

"Yuck. Gross. You are the only person on the planet who doesn't, I think."

"You don't seem to mind too much." I said lowly, placing my hand on the back of his neck and pulling him in for another kiss.

"I wasn't really given a choice," he said against my lips, and I felt his curve upward.

"Oh, drop the martyr act." I pulled back so he could see me roll my eyes. "You could be up in the bathroom brushing your teeth right now if you really wanted. I can't make you do anything you don't want to." I touched his nose. "You are even more stubborn then I am."

"That is true. Just remember it."

"M'hm…"

We spent a few more minutes in each others arms before I finally had to get up to use the bathroom. Once inside, I looked in the mirror. My hair was a disaster, as always, and my eyes were just a little red from just waking up, my clothes were a wrinkled catastrophe, and I had slight marks from Yugi's shirt imprinted on the side of my face. I looked very beautiful, I must say. (I'm sure you could hear the very heavy sarcasm in that last sentence.)

And yet, here was a man in my house—on my couch, no less—respecting my boundaries wholeheartedly, and yet still very clear in the fact that he wanted me. He was a catch, that much was certain. I still thought he was way too good for a guy like me, and he had an amazing body and a sweet disposition. Still, he wanted _me_, and had no qualms about showing it.

I looked back in the mirror, wondering just when he had started chipping at the walls I had kept around myself. It had only been barely two and a half months by now, but I trusted Yugi. More than I've ever trusted someone before. I knew that there would be no other man coming along in the near future who would be nearly as perfect for me as him. He had been patient with me, hadn't pushed, had always listened, and still held his own. I thought I was driving myself crazy waiting so long to kiss him, so I could only imagine how he felt during that time. We were good together. We complimented each other.

I hung my hand towel back on the holder after washing my face and sighed. All this thinking from a glance in the mirror at eight in the morning. Why was I even up so early? I turned out the light and walked out and into to the kitchen, finding Yugi bent over in front of the refrigerator.

"Wow, help yourself to my food," I teased, walking up to him as he stood back up. "You crash on my couch, now you eat my food. What's next?"

"Well, okay. I guess I'll just leave," he shot back, pouting his lower lip out to look like a toddler who has just been told to share a toy. I laughed. "What do you want to eat?" He asked. "I can make some eggs or oatmeal."

"How about some oatmeal? It's not instant, so it'll take a few minutes." I warned.

"That's fine."

* * *

><p>"Yami, you are amazing." I said after we ate, looking in his eyes until he looked away.<p>

"I'm not quite sure what to say to that," he said back, taking our bowls and glasses to the sink. I followed him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and hide my face in his back as he rinsed the dishes.

"How about 'thank you'?" I said smiling, leaning up to kiss the side of his neck. He shut off the water and turned around, wrapping his arms around my back.

"But you are so much _more_ amazing," he said, and he leaned down to kiss me. His cell phone rang in his pocket just as his tongue had accessed delightful entry into my mouth. We pulled away from each other and I groaned.

"Just answer it."

"Sorry," he said, looking at it.

"Don't be sorry," I told him. "It happens." He smiled and flipped open the phone. I watched as he walked back into the living room, his lithe frame gracefully leaning against the arm of the sofa as he talked. After a moment, he said goodbye and smirked over to me.

"Anzu says hello." He commented. I sighed.

"My fault. I told her I was going to be here last night." I stepped over to him and rolled my eyes. "Sheesh. What a gossip queen she is."

* * *

><p>"I see things have been going well," Anzu said one day. Her, Yugi, Yugi's friend Jou, and I were at a little restaurant, grabbing dinner. "What's it been, a little over eight months?"<p>

I thought about it for a second. "Yeah, it has." I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face. While the past months had made Yugi and I discover that we definitely had our share of differences, it was also clear that we had even more in common and were good together. Even when it was hard, it was easy. That sounds contradictory, I know, but it's the only way to describe it.

"Look at you. I'm so proud. You finally met someone who could put up with your cynical ass." She grinned and took a swig of her soda.

"Uh-huh," I hummed, the smile still playing at my lips.

"Shh! Quiet. Here he comes," Jou said very audibly as Yugi sat down next to me after using the bathroom. Anzu attempted to shoot him a chastising sideways glance, but the look in her eyes came out amused instead.

"Oh, god, what? Are we in fourth grade again?" Yugi asked, smiling. I had noticed that he and Jou got along very well.

"Fourth grade?" Anzu laughed. "_Puh-lease_. He's still stuck in kindergarten."

"I'm not surprised." Yugi replied. I chuckled and drank some soda.

"Oh, like you have any room ta talk," Jou said to him.

"Who? Little ol' me?" He put his hand on his chest and batted his eyelashes. I couldn't help but inhale my soda from laughter at his expression. I coughed a couple of times into my fist. "What were you saying about me, anyway?"

"Just how naturally charming you clearly are," Anzu said with a shrug.

"But of course," he replied. He leaned over and put his arm across the back of my chair. "How do you think I bagged this one?" Even when he was being such an idiot, it was hard not to swoon. "Wasn't it my natural charm that started getting you all hot and bothered, Yami?"

"Oh, get over yourself," I said, grinning as I pushed him back into his chair. "After all, I'm just after your fortune."

"Oh, baby. You are going to be really disappointed, then," he informed as he used his straw to flick water at me.

"Oh, sweet mother of crap," Jou butted in, covering his face with his hands, "if I have ta listen ta anymore of this, I think I'm going to throw up. Next time I'm hungry, I'm going _alone."_

We laughed, and the rest of the meal went splendidly, including the ride home. The only problem was with me—for some reason; Yugi had turned me on throughout the whole meal. I know he hadn't meant to, and nothing he did was overtly sexual, I just couldn't take it anymore. It had been eight months, and what we'd done physically up to this point stopped at kissing and some groping. I was trying to make everything work, but I was ready. Scratch that, I was more than ready.

He had just planned on coming in for a cup of coffee before heading home when we got to my house, I know, but as soon as he shut the door behind him, I practically pounced on him. He didn't miss a beat, though, and soon our tongues were fighting wonderfully as I walked him backward till he was pressed between me and the wall.

"Well, hello," He managed, pulling his mouth from mine.

"Yugi, god. I've been trying to take everything so slow, but right now I want you," I admitted, tightening my hold around him. He grabbed my arms and looked into my eyes, tilting his face up. He leaned over so his lips were just inches from mine. How did he know exactly how to drive me so crazy?

"Now, when you say you 'want me', do you mean my fortune?" he inquired softly, jumping back to the earlier conversation during dinner.

"If that's how you want to refer to your assets," I replied, almost laughing. "Then, yes. I want the whole damn estate." He was silent for a moment, and then he smiled.

"Okay."

"Really?" I looked away and back quickly. "I mean, you don't mind? If you don't want to, we won't. We can wait."

_"Sheesh!"_ He looked exasperated. "Do you want me or not? When you talk like that, you're giving out mixed signals."

"I'm sorry. But I do Yugi. I'm sure of this." I took a deep breath. "I'm sure of you."

"Then shut up and kiss me, idiot."

I didn't argue. I only bent down and caught his lips in mine. I think it must have taken us fifteen minutes to traverse the distance from the living room to my bedroom, because we were kissing and touching and undressing frantically along the way. By the time we got to the bed, we were both shirtless, and his pants were undone haphazardly. The dusky light in the sky from the setting sun filtered through windows in my room, making the pale skin that covered his chest and stomach almost glow. I was hooked. Completely addicted to him. Like a freaking drug, except without the side effects.

No, strike that. My heart jumping about wildly, my stomach turning, my insides melting with every touch or look...those were _definitely_ side effects.

I backed him up against the bed and pushed him down, leaning over him by bracing my weight on my hands on either side of his body. I bent down to his neck to taste his skin, kissing my way from his neck to the middle of his chest. My left leg, which was positioned between his legs, shifted and pushed against the front of his pants. He let out a gasp that turned into a low moan, giving me even more incentive, because now I knew that he was enjoying this as much as I was. The sound of him was delicious to my ears.

"Nng…Y-Yami," he muttered as I reached down and grasped his manhood outside his boxers while gently teasing his nipple with my tongue. I rubbed my hand up and down as I kissed my way past his navel. I peeled his pants, underwear, shoes, and socks off in no time at all.

Oh, man. I had my own personal God, and he was in my bed with a flushed face, mouth parted as he breathed hardly, arms sprawled out above his head, and one leg slightly bent at the knee. I kneeled by the bed and pressed my tongue against his length. I traveled up until i was at the tip, and then I took him into my mouth. I let my full oral abilities loose, and he seemed to enjoy himself. His low moans and gasps were spurring me on. I experimentally ran my tongue and mouth and fingers on him. I carefully inserted a digit of my other hand into him, and he gripped the sheet.

"Yami…stop or I'm going to come," he gasped, as if that was incentive for me to stop. I added another finger and let them penetrate him just enough to get to his prostate, and he lost it.

As he came down from his orgasm, he sat up with some difficulty and kissed me while removing my pants. I answered by sliding my tongue past his lips and deepening our kiss as his hands found my erection and stroked it. I broke away from him and heard myself moan. He moved into place under me, placing his mouth on mine over and over again. I could feel the creamy skin of his thighs press against my hips, and I held his face in my hands, unable to get my lips away from his long enough to do what needed to be done next. I positioned myself and carefully pushed in slowly.

His fingers gripped my upper arms, and I hesitated a minute before slipping in all the way to the hilt. He took in a shuddering gasp and hid hands moved from my arms to the bed, clutching the sheet with his fingers again. I moved so my arms were beside his shoulders and I took his face in my hands again, kissing him senseless to help him with the pain. I hated that it hurt him.

"Move, Yami," he said in a quiet voice, writhing against me. The movement made me lose my train of thought for a moment. I rocked my hips, sliding out and then in him both gently and deeply. I watched his face as he got over the pain and started feeling the pleasure. As Anzu would say, he looked like one big hot mess. Emphasis on the hot part. I kept at a normal pace, not wanting to hurt him. He shifted and pushed back at me, and I felt all my breath leave my lungs. When I opened my eyes again, I saw that he was looking at me, amused. "I think I'm going to fall asleep here, Yami." Then he got really serious and leaned up so he could hook his arms around my neck. "I'm fine. It doesn't hurt. I'm okay." He brushed his lips against my ear. I could feel his breath against it, and his low tone made me shudder. "Go faster."

He kissed the sensitive skin under my ear on my neck before moving over and claiming my lips. He kissed me hardly. I kissed back, placing one arm around his back to keep him up as I thrusted in faster like he wanted. Our new angle made me hit his prostate, and he tilted his head up and moaned loudly, his eyes shut. The sound was so delicious that I made sure to hit it each time. His arms were around me tightly, and I let my head rest on his shoulder so I was moaning into his skin. It—he—felt so good. I'd never felt this way. So complete.

"Yugi, I love you." The words slipped out of my mouth easily. I couldn't believe I had just said them. His arms loosened and he pulled back. His lips touched mine, then our mouths melded together. His tongue took mine into battle, and it was all I could do to focus on kissing him and thrusting into him at the same time. His fingers were up in my hair, pulling me closer, like our current position wasn't close enough. I reached down and started to stroke him in time to my thrusts, and he broke away from me, leaning back in ecstasy.

"Yami…I'm going to…" he said between breaths.

"I know." I leaned over and kissed his shoulder, his neck, his lips. "It's okay. Let go." I felt him convulse as he screamed a particularly bad curse word into my mouth. (Here's a hint: it started with the letter F.) He tightened around me, and it only took me a couple more thrusts to come to an orgasm as well. We both fell over onto the bed, and I pulled out of him. He had his arms around me tightly, trying to regain his normal breathing. When we finally untangled ourselves from each other, he rested half his weight on top of me.

"I love you, too, by the way." He said suddenly, looking at me with sincere eyes. My stomach flipped, and I brought his face closer for another kiss. When we pulled away, I hugged him close to me and buried my head in the crook of his neck. His intoxicating smell, which had become comforting to me over the past months, was the last thing I noticed before I dozed off.

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The morning sun drifted through the windows since we had forgotten to pull the shades last night. I glanced at the clock mere inches from my face. It alerted me that it was six oh-seven. Crap. I needed to get up. I glanced over at Yugi's sleeping form, wondering if he was already late for work. The peaceful look on his face as he slept, though, kept me from waking him up just a moment more. He really was gorgeous. Amazing that the truth of it is hitting me now, of all times. Probably because of what we did last night.

I've had enough experience to know the difference between Yugi and previous encounters. Sex with Yugi wasn't the fastest nor the longest, but is was, however, the best and the most meaningful sex I'd had in my entire life. I felt connected to him. Never before had I felt this spark before from physicality, but Yugi brought it full on every time he kissed me, with every moan or whimper, or even just by looking into my eyes. Before, it had always felt like it was just been about sex. But with Yugi, it felt like more than that.

Even something I'd never been keen on before I now enjoyed—cuddling while going to sleep. In the past, I always felt like I needed my space and I didn't spoon. But Yugi curling up to me, or vice versa, felt like it was the icing on the cake—not technically necessary, but what cake is finished without it, and who wants cake without the frosting? It was a good thing I enjoyed it, too: even in his sleep, he held onto me. Like now. He had one arm thrown over my waist.

I brushed my fingertips lightly over his nose, enjoying the way it wrinkled before he let his eyes open.  
>"Yo. Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," I grinned, and he blinked, surprised.<p>

"Whoa. You're actually up _before_ me." He commented. He shifted to look at the alarm clock, then sat straight up, suddenly wide awake. "Oh, shit! I have to be in at _seven_! Why didn't you wake me sooner?"

"Because you're so peaceful and cute when you sleep?" I offered with a grin. He smiled a little as he dashed from the bed to the bathroom, slightly tripping over the sheet in his haste.

"I really wish I could be mad at you right now, but I suppose it's partly my fault for forgetting to set the alarm." He called back to me. I heard the shower turn on, and then his head and a shoulder peeked from the doorway. "Although, you did keep me pretty distracted last night, so there's a reason I forgot. Want to join me? We can save water."

"Nah, you go ahead. I'm going to enjoy staying in bed." I yawned as I sprawled out. He disappeared in the bathroom after sticking his tongue out at me. I laughed and got up and walked into the bathroom.

"Okay, you convinced me," I said, peeling back the shower curtain. He had his head down in the flow of the water, rivulets cascading down his back. He turned his head sideways, giving me a look.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir, but that offer just expired. It is no longer valid."

"I'm going to expire you," I said, reaching for him as he laughed and whisked the shower curtain shut.

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><p>Please review<p> 


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